Would you rather be roasting chestnuts on an open fire at home with your family and friends, or staring at a table full of credit card bills that will take you at least six months to pay off?
Every year the holidays come around. That means a break from school, time with your family and the stress of trying to buy everyone a present.
This can be a pretty daunting task when you have been making minimum-wage, working 10 hours a week during school. Shopping for the holidays should not require taking out another student loan.
If you simply put some thought and time into a gift, you are sure to have one people will love. And a thoughtful gift doesn't mean a macaroni necklace for mom and a homemade necktie for dad.
Here are some ideas for getting presents that your family and friends will enjoy, but do not cost a fortune.Winter clothing items can be useful and as simple or cute as you need.
"Scarves, gloves, hats, and winter stuff like that make great gifts for girls and guys," Tricia Mullen, a sophomore journalism major from Des Arc, said.
Old Navy has fleece hats and scarves for just $5 and Target has two pairs of gloves for only $1.50.
Another quick gift is a subscription to a magazine that the person likes or you think they would like.
You can find subscriptions for under $25. A great part about this gift is the person gets a gift from you every month for the next year.
If you have no time to shop, a gift card is a simple gift you can pick up at almost any store.
"Gift cards for food are always good bets for girls and guys too. Less money goes a longer way for food rather than clothes," Mullen said.
Most grocery stores carry a variety of restaurant gift cards.
An iTunes gift card is a good purchase as well. Giving a $10 card is like giving your friend a mix CD that is guaranteed to have their favorite songs on it.
If you have more time to, pay attention and put together a gift specialized for that person.When you put thought into a meaningful or practical gift, the person is sure to love it.
"If you had a lot of fun one night eating Gummi Bears and talking, then get that person some Gummi Bears for less than $5, and say we need to have another get-together night," said Allyn Cohen, a senior clinical laboratory sciences major from Germantown, Tenn.
For movie lovers, a DVD and a movie-night basket is a great idea. A movie-night basket could include cheap items like popcorn, sodas and the person's favorite candy.
According to Cohen, Amazon.com has some great prices on DVDs.
"Since my dad is Jewish, we search for unorthodox Christmas movies, so for the last few years we have been giving each other these movies and watching them on Christmas day. We love it and it is truly a unique memory that we will forever share," Cohen said.
Photographs make for great gifts for your family or friends. There are several gifts that can be made out of photos.
Photo calendars, mouse pads, ornaments or mugs are all simple gifts. Just pick out what picture you want to use for the gift and take it to the nearest photo center where you can get any of these items for less than $20.
"Being creative is the best way to save money," said Melody Houk, a senior early childhood education major from Little Rock.
Paint on a canvas, make an ornament or decorate a photo box.
Amalie Benjamin, a freshman nursing major from Cabot, once decorated some white canvas shoes from Wal-Mart for one of her friends. She used a fabric marker to put inside jokes all over the shoes.
"It was personal and something we could both relate to. The shoes make her think of all the fun times we shared when she looks at or wears them. That is more special than anything you can buy in a store," Benjamin said.
The best way to save money is to plan ahead. Look for deals throughout the year. If you see coffee mugs on sale, and you know your friend loves coffee, get the mug while it's on sale.
Around the holidays, buy some coffee and wrap it with the mug for a simple, thoughtful gift. This way your holiday shopping doesn't have to all come from your December budget.
If you are going to print photos to fill frames, make a scrapbook or for any other reason, print them all at once for a discount.
No matter how small or inexpensive the gift was, wrap it nicely.
"If it looks like you put time and thought into it the amount of money it took disappears," Cohen said.
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